Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oral

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $723 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Oral

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Oral

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Oral actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $723 in Oral, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Oral $723

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,099 in Oral, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Oral $1,099

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,476 in Oral, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Oral $1,476

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Oral, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Oral are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Oral 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$8.30 ₸3,764

-73.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$33.73 ₸15.3K

-43.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.12 ₸3,684

-31.65%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.85 ₸840

-9.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.97 ₸441

-34.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.59 ₸267

-47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$0.87 ₸394

171.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.06 ₸934

77.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.46 ₸661

33.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.47 ₸213

206.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.69 ₸768

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.44 ₸652

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.92 ₸4,044

84.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.39 ₸1,993

-36.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.31 ₸5,129

-17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.25 ₸567

88.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.03 ₸919

-52.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.38 ₸1,079

-32.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.24 ₸1,470

-53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.42 ₸190

204.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.32 ₸147

243.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.71 ₸322

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.14 ₸515

-57.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.20 ₸997

88.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.72 ₸3,502

126.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.65 ₸296

147.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.23 ₸105

278.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.65 ₸295

78.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.47 ₸2,481

-55.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.62 ₸282

133.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.1K ฿710.7K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$30.5K ₸13.8M

-11.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.2 ฿2,098

$83.8 ₸38.0K

-25.77%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.17 ฿411

$8.66 ₸3,930

40.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$14.61 ₸6,627

37.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$55.5 ₸25.2K

-32.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.41 ₸1,546

90.32%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$33.17 ₸15.0K

60.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$281 ₸127.2K

71.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$213 ₸96.8K

44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$449 ₸203.8K

123.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$317 ₸143.6K

100.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$439 ₸199.4K

34.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oral: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Oral

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Oral

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Oral

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Oral

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Oral

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Oral

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Oral

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $281 in Oral. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Oral. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $196 in Oral – so Oral wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇿 Oral

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

10:04 10:04 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

256,960

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Oral 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Oral

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Oral, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,084 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $723 in Oral. That makes Oral about 23% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Oral to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Oral. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.